Sentenced to Death
TRANSLATION
(1) Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans to have Jesus put to death. (2) They bound him, led him away, and delivered him over to Pilate, the (Roman) governor. (3) When Judas, who betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, (4) saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they responded, “What is that to us? You deal with it.” (5) So he threw the pieces of silver into the temple and left. He then went and hanged himself. (6) The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury since it is blood money.” (7) So they decided to buy with (the silver) the potter’s field for the burial of strangers. (8) Therefore, that field has been called “the field of blood” to this day. (9) Thus was fulfilled what Jeremiah, the prophet, had spoken: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price that was set on him by some of the children of Israel, (10) and they gave them for the potter’s field as the Lord directed me.”
(11) Meanwhile, when Jesus stood before the governor, Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responded, “You have said so.” (12) When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. (13) Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” (14) Again he gave no answer, not even a word, so the governor was greatly amazed. (15) Now at the Feast (of Passover) the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd any one prisoner for whom they made request. (16) At that time they held a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. (17) So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” (18) For (Pilate) knew that it was out of self-interest that (the Jews) had handed (Jesus) over to him. (19) While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent this message to him: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him in a dream.” (20) Now the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. (21) The governor asked them, “Which one of the two do you want me to release to you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” (22) Pilate asked them, “What then should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all cried, “Let him be crucified!” (23) And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted even more, “Let him be crucified!”
(24) So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man. See to it yourselves.” (25) All the people responded, “His blood be on us and on our children!” (26) Then he had Barabbas released to them but had Jesus scourged and handed over to be crucified. (27) Then the governor’s guard led Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the entire troop (of soldiers). (28) They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. (29) And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head and (placed) a reed in his right hand. They kneeled in front of him and mocking him said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (30) They then spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. (31) And after they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes back on him and led him away to crucify him. (32) And as they went out, they found a man from Cyrene, Simon by name. They forced him to go with them to carry his cross.
OBSERVATIONS
We cringe in horror as we recall the gruesome events of that fateful day when Jesus was sentenced to die: the plotting of the religious leaders, the miscarriage of justice as Pilate weakly gave in to their demands, the shouting of the frenzied crowds, the mocking of the Roman soldiers as they heaped abuse on the Savior.
Among the repetitions found in this segment, proper names and titles predominate. “Jesus” occurred nine times (vss. 1, 2, 11, 17, 20, 26, & 27) and twice with “who is called Christ” (vss. 17 & 22). “Chief priests and elders” is found five times (vss. 1, 3, 6, 12, & 20). “The governor” occurred six times (vss. 11, 14, 15, 21, & 27) along with “Pilate” five times (vss. 2, 13, 17, 22, & 24). “King of the Jews” was repeated (vss. 11 & 29) as was Barabbas (vss. 16, 17, 20, 21, & 26). “Let him be crucified” was also repeated (vss. 22 & 23) along with one more use of “crucified” (vs. 26).
NOTE: “The quotation found in verses 9 & 10 where we read, ‘spoken by Jeremiah,’ came not from Jeremiah’s prophecy but from Zechariah 11:12 & 13 with allusions to Jeremiah 18:1-4 and 19:1-3. Matthew ascribed these words to Jeremiah since, in Jesus’ day, the books of the prophets were headed by Jeremiah, not by Isaiah as it is now. The quotation was identified by the name of the first book of the group of prophets rather than by the name of the specific book within the group” (Ryrie Study Bible p. 1514).
OUTLINE
I. After Jesus was handed over to Pilate, Judas remorsefully hanged himself. (1-10)
II. Pilate, recognizing Jesus’ innocence, tried unsuccessfully to have him released. (11-23)
III. After Pilate had sentenced Jesus to death, the soldiers mocked and abused him. (24-32)
IDEA STATEMENT
Although declared innocent by Pilate, Jesus was sentenced to death because the crowd, incited by the Jewish leadership, demanded his crucifixion.
APPLICATION
Ever since the crucifixion, generations of believers have played what we might call “the blame game,” trying to decide who bore the greatest responsibility for Jesus’ execution. Was it Judas who betrayed his master? Was it the Jewish leadership whose animosity toward Jesus had been growing for months? Was it the crowds that howled like wolves for his death? Was it the Romans who mercilessly tortured him? Or was it spineless Pilate, who knowing he was innocent still ordered him to be crucified?
The Austrian pastor and hymn writer, Johann Heermann, wrestled with this troubling issue as he meditated on the death of Christ. What resulted was one of most beautiful and moving texts in the Lutheran tradition. Two stanzas from his grand hymn, Herzliebster Jesu, help us grasp the ultimate answer to this question of blame:
Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee.
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered.
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded, God interceded.